Doolittle Tokyo Raiders awarded Congressional Gold Medal
By Shane S. Karp | Air Force Sergeants Association
April 16, 2015 -- Almost 73 years ago, 80 brave Airmen were tasked with a daring mission: carry out the first bombing of Japan's mainland in retaliation to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Flash forward to 2015 -- where now hundreds of distinguished guests, high-ranking military officials, members of Congress and more packed the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center's Emancipation Hall to witness the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal Wednesday for their heroic acts on April 18, 1942.
The medal, the nation's highest civilian award, was presented to retired Lt. Gen. John L. Hudson, current director of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, where the medal will join other artifacts and memorabilia from Doolittle's historic raid on Japan.
Neither of the two remaining Doolittle Raiders were able to attend the ceremony on Capitol Hill, but on April 18, the 73rd anniversary of the raid, the medal will be presented to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force by one of the two surviving Doolittle Raiders, retired Lt. Col. Richard "Dick" E. Cole, co-pilot of Crew No. 1, during a ceremony at the museum. The other surviving Raider, Staff Sgt. David J. Thatcher, engineer-gunner of Crew No. 7, is also planning to attend.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, who co-sponsored legislation alongside U.S. Rep. Pete Olson of Texas.
Congressmen Brown and Olson were joined on stage by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, Sen. Dick Durbin, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
The ceremony was followed by a reception sponsored by the Air Force Sergeants Association, Air Force Association and Lockheed Martin. Members of the Raiders' family, as well as members of Congress and other guests attended to further show their gratitude for what the 80 brave men accomplished more than 70 years ago.
April 16, 2015 -- Almost 73 years ago, 80 brave Airmen were tasked with a daring mission: carry out the first bombing of Japan's mainland in retaliation to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Flash forward to 2015 -- where now hundreds of distinguished guests, high-ranking military officials, members of Congress and more packed the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center's Emancipation Hall to witness the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal Wednesday for their heroic acts on April 18, 1942.
The medal, the nation's highest civilian award, was presented to retired Lt. Gen. John L. Hudson, current director of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, where the medal will join other artifacts and memorabilia from Doolittle's historic raid on Japan.
Neither of the two remaining Doolittle Raiders were able to attend the ceremony on Capitol Hill, but on April 18, the 73rd anniversary of the raid, the medal will be presented to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force by one of the two surviving Doolittle Raiders, retired Lt. Col. Richard "Dick" E. Cole, co-pilot of Crew No. 1, during a ceremony at the museum. The other surviving Raider, Staff Sgt. David J. Thatcher, engineer-gunner of Crew No. 7, is also planning to attend.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, who co-sponsored legislation alongside U.S. Rep. Pete Olson of Texas.
Congressmen Brown and Olson were joined on stage by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, Sen. Dick Durbin, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
The ceremony was followed by a reception sponsored by the Air Force Sergeants Association, Air Force Association and Lockheed Martin. Members of the Raiders' family, as well as members of Congress and other guests attended to further show their gratitude for what the 80 brave men accomplished more than 70 years ago.
